18TH ASIAN ART BIENNALE

Thai artist wins award depicting urban life

Thai artist Trirat Sriburin poses with his honourable mention award in front of his award-winning artwork.

Thai artist Trirat Sriburin has won the honourable mention award at the 18th Asian Art Biennale for his painting, titled ‘Building’, depicting urban insular lifestyle.Sriburin, who has participated for the first time in Asian Art Biennale, received the award consisting of Tk 300,000, a crest and a certificate from president Abdul Hamid on September 1 at the inauguration ceremony of the biennale.The award-winning painting, done in pen ink on canvas, by the artist shows multi-storied urban residential buildings where the apartments look more like pigeon boxes.‘People are relocating from the countryside to urban areas where their lifestyles and cultures are undergoing sharp changes. The concept of home, meaning a place of affection and love, is being reimagined in the urban society. As a result, people are being forced to forgo their old lifestyles’, said Sriburin. Sharing his experience of winning the award the artist said, ‘I did not expect that my work would fetch an award at such a big art event’, said Sriburin. ‘The Asian Art Biennale is a very big art event compared to other art events of the region. I am really happy to participate in it’, said the artist, who hopes to participate in next editions of the biennale too. Sriburin, who studied visual arts at Silpakorn University in Bangkok, has three solo exhibitions to his credit. He likes to depict contemporary life and society in most of his works.‘I work on theme that I can relate to my life. Urban society and contemporary lifestyle come often in my works’, said Sriburin.Sharing his experience of visiting Bangladesh, the artist said, ‘before coming to Bangladesh, I heard many negative things about the country, but after coming here my mindset has changed. The people here are very friendly. Besides, the overall management of the biennale is also very impressive’, said the artist. The month-long 18th edition of Asian Art Biennale is displaying 583 artworks by 465 artists from 68 countries at the National Art Gallery of Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy.